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How did DNA analysis help researchers study ancient cases of plague?

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two plague victims with sores lying in bed, while a robed figure gestures above them. — plague Image depicting victims of the sixth biblical plague.

DNA analysis has revolutionized the study of ancient plague by allowing researchers to detect the genetic material of Yersinia pestis directly in archaeological remains.1

By analyzing tissue specimens and teeth recovered from historical sites, scientists can identify the presence of the bacterium in individuals who lived centuries ago. This approach has provided definitive evidence of the disease's early existence, such as identifying genomic traces of Y. pestis in the teeth of Neolithic farmers in Sweden from approximately 4,900 years ago. Furthermore, DNA analysis of teeth from Bronze Age humans has indicated that the pathogen was present in Europe and Asia between 3000 and 800 BCE.12

These DNA-based methods have been particularly instrumental in studying plague outbreaks in Europe between the 6th and 17th centuries, providing a scientific basis for understanding the history of the disease that was previously impossible to verify through historical descriptions alone.12